On the ground in Tarija, Bolivia

Tarija is a small city, with a population of about 194,000. Because it's transitioning to winter here in South America, the climate is temperate, beautiful and a little breezy. The city to me has retained a somewhat colonial feel. It was established as a Spanish city in 1574, and it's still got some of that vibe. Folks sit in the squares in the evening, chatting and enjoying the ambiance, and it's quiet... much different than some of the other Latin America cities I've been in where there is a constant stream of motorcycles and salsa music blaring into the wee hours of the morning. There is a lot of green space.

Today, we met with Sara and Eva to hear about the program's progress. Most of the members of the 13 groups mobilized so far are women. As Eva explained, the women are much more likely to actively implement the knowledge that they learn in group meetings and educate their other family members. (In the microfinance world, women are also more likely to repay their loans!) They also mentioned how women who suffered from low self-esteem, lack of confidence and timidity are now learning how to speak up for themselves, express their ideas and make changes at home. It is exciting to hear about transformation in action. Five Talents truly is fighting poverty, creating jobs and transforming lives here in Tarija.

Of the more than 140 members of this program to date, there have been no drop outs! There is only woman that is no longer able to attend the group's weekly meeting because she had to move to Argentina (we're pretty close to the border, here), but she sends her money via her daughter, who is also part of the group. Amazing!

Another thing I love about Tarija: a total lack of gringos.

~Hannah